Description
Chicken Thighs with Creamy Lemon Dill Sauce features tender, juicy chicken thighs cooked to perfection and smothered in a rich, tangy sauce made from fresh lemon juice, zest, dill, and creamy Dijon mustard. This easy-to-make skillet recipe is perfect for weeknight meals or special dinners and delivers a delightful balance of flavors.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 8 chicken thighs boneless and skinless
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
Sauce
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup chicken broth low sodium or no sodium added
- juice and zest from 1 lemon
- 2 tablespoons fresh dill chopped
- ½ cup heavy cream
- 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water (to dissolve cornstarch)
Instructions
- Season Chicken: Season both sides of the chicken thighs with salt and pepper evenly to ensure flavor throughout.
- Cook Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken thighs and cook for 7 minutes on each side until golden brown and fully cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Sauté Garlic and Deglaze: Reduce heat to medium. Add minced garlic to the skillet and cook for 1 minute until fragrant but not browned. Pour in chicken broth to deglaze, scraping any browned bits from the skillet bottom for extra flavor.
- Add Lemon and Dill: Stir in lemon juice, lemon zest, and chopped fresh dill. Bring mixture to a simmer to blend flavors.
- Prepare Cream Sauce: Add heavy cream and Dijon mustard to the skillet, stirring to combine. For a thicker sauce, whisk together cornstarch and water then stir into the sauce. Let simmer for a few minutes until the sauce thickens to your preference.
- Combine Chicken and Sauce: Return the chicken thighs to the skillet, coating them well with the lemon dill sauce. Simmer together for 3-4 minutes so the chicken heats through and absorbs the sauce.
- Garnish and Serve: Garnish with additional fresh dill before serving for a pop of color and fresh herb flavor.
Notes
- Adjust the sauce thickness by increasing or decreasing the cornstarch amount.
- For a creamier sauce, simmer it longer before returning the chicken to the pan.
- If using dried dill, reduce the quantity to about one-third of the fresh amount.
- Add a pinch of red pepper flakes to the sauce for a mild spicy kick.
- Use a meat thermometer to check chicken doneness; it should read 165°F (74°C).
